STRESS MANAGEMENT COURSE «SELF-HELP PLUS» IN UNIVERSITIES

Abstract

Introduction. These theses present the results of the study of the preliminary implementation of the "Self-Help Plus" (SH+) course at the university. To date, there are no studies in the world evaluating the effectiveness of the SH+ course on students, and it has not been investigated how the course can affect the educational process.

Methods. To begin with, it was necessary to obtain a general evaluation for the SH+ course from the students. This should provide insight into the future risks that may be encountered when introducing the course into students' curricula. SIn total, 4 groups (34 students) of the Faculty of Psychology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv passed. Each group had 5 sessions over 3-4 weeks, 1 or 2 sessions per week. After each session, students were given time to independently practice the acquired skills before the next session. This allowed students to share their impressions of using skills in everyday life.

Results. To assess the need for and interest in this course, students were asked to complete a short survey after each session. All students were satisfied with the conduct, quality and organization of this course. Each student said that he recommended this training to his colleague and that this course was relevant and increased his learning in this topic. Among the difficult or incomprehensible, students noted the following: it is difficult to perceive audio recordings, it is difficult to think about painful situations, it is difficult to follow some instructions. At the end of the final facilitation sessions, some students requested a training session for facilitators to spread knowledge among students.

Conclusions. Expanding such programs and adapting them to the unique needs of each university can have a positive impact on mental health at the national level.

References

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